


Prototype: EK600

by DarkSpice



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: A LOT of Angst, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Android! Reader, Connor Deserves Happiness, Deviant! Connor, Deviant! Reader, During Canon, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I still don't understand the Markus/North relationship, Markus and Simon's relationship is canon, No Smut, Obviously some events needed to be altered for this to work, Pacifist! Markus, Slow Burn, Thanks Hank, and swearing, don't make me do that please, mostly canon, they all do
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-06-09 08:49:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15263802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkSpice/pseuds/DarkSpice
Summary: You were the first and last EK600 model:The newest addition to Cyberlife’s prototype collection, equipped with the latest software;  facial recognition, pre-construction, kinetic stabilisers and designed with a core built to withstand up to 500,000 volts of electricity at once. But what would such an android be used for?For unknown reasons, Cyberlife sought our your deactivation, and immediately terminated any further development of the EK series.By sheer luck, you narrowly escaped the cooperation that threatened to deactivate you and ran until you met an unlikely pair by the name of Kara and Alice. However, the presence of the pair accidentally attracts the attention of a specific hardboiled police lieutenant and the DPD's new android detective.As events unravel, the purpose of your existence begins to unwind too.





	1. Awakening

**November 4th, 2038**

**PM 8:23:07**

**CyberLife Development and Production Plant**

___________________________

MODEL: EK600  
SERIAL NUMBER: #313 248 206  
**SYSTEM REBOOTING…**

**SYSTEM REBOOTED…**

**LOADING OS…**

**RUNNING SELF-DIAGNOSIS…**

OPTICAL UNITS: **OK**

AUDIO PROCESSORS: **OK**

VOICE MODULATOR: **OK**  
THIRIUM PUMP REGULATOR: **ONLINE, BUT DAMAGED**

BIOCOMPONENTS: **ARM COMPONENT #7291d (LEFT) BAD IMPACT DAMAGE, BIOTHERMAL SYSTEMS OFFLINE**

**MEMORY STATUS…**  
ALL SYSTEMS **ONLINE**  
ALL SYSTEMS **OK**

MEMORY SCAN ONGOING…  
MEMORY FILES **FUNCTIONAL**

ENERGY STABILISER **OK**

KINETIC SYSTEM **OFFLINE**

BACKUP SYSTEMS **ONLINE**

**SYSTEM STATUS OK**

**READY**  
___________________________

“-system is malfunctioning. Prototype displaying symptoms of deviancy and is deemed defective. It will be sent to the deconstruction unit in 6 minutes.” 

Eyes flickering open, the android watched as the supervisor spoke over the device. The man nodded throughout the conversation, and with a last ‘thank you’, he hung up. The man turned towards the robot, jumping slightly as its hard, calculating eyes followed his every movement. 

“I can’t believe it. How was the first model a deviant already?” He muttered, tensely glancing at the lifeless android. Gritting out ‘I don’t get paid enough for this shit’ through his teeth, he sat back in his chair, watching the robot with caution in his eyes. He jumped when the android stepped forward, placing its right hand against the containment glass. 

“Why am I being deactivated?” A shiver ran up the supervisor’s spine at the innocent confusion in the android’s voice. It was as if she- no, _it_ genuinely believed it was alive. _It_ wasn’t a living thing, it was just plastic, metal and blue stuff for god sake!

“Because you’re a deviant.” Was his gruff response.

“A deviant? I’m not supposed to be like this?”

The supervisor laughed, a mockingly cold laugh that would send shivers down anyone’s spine. “Of course not. You were made to serve humans, not yourself!” 

“I’m supposed to be a servant to mankind?” For a moment anger slowly began to contort the android’s face, her eyes narrowing darkly. But the moment it came, it was gone. It was weird seeing an android displaying human emotions.

“You were made by humans, for humans. What did you expect?” He sneered, his lips curling back. The monitor in front of him began beeping, and his eyes flickered to read the message. 

“Time’s up. They’re here.” 

Despite the neutral expression she painted on her face, EK600's mind was racing. _Am I being deactivated and disassembled for having a free will?_

Two androids entered through the doors. Unlike the 'malfunctioning' android, these androids faces were emotionless and they walked towards the deviant rigidly. The containment doors opened and they reached towards her.

**MAIN OBJECTIVE: Escape**

**ENERGY STABILISER ACTIVATED**

ELECTRICAL SURGE **READY**

Something inside her clicked and with her operational arm, she swung at the first of the androids. Her fist made contact with the left android’s face, and a crackle of electricity burst between them. Its LED flicked red, before switching off completely and the android became rigid and motionless.  
The other lunged at her, grabbing her arm. Out of instinct, her leg swung out the second androids hit the ground with a heavy thud. The supervisor watched on in shock as the deviant's palm rested against the guard's temple, covering the android’s LED. Her eyes flickering, electricity spurted from her fingers. The android convulsed as the electricity surged through it before it fell still. When she removed her palm, the android’s LED was offline. 

The deviant glanced up at the supervisor, her eyes locking onto his horrified ones. He lunged for the radio transmitter that rested on the desk, but the android leapt over it, tackling and pinning him to the ground. She lifted her palm, sparks of electricity flickering between her white, exposed fingertips. The man beneath her trembled, fear in his eyes, as he waited for his impending doom. Her unusually gentle voice startled him.

“Don’t worry, I won’t destroy you.” 

A moment later she brought her hand down and everything went dark.

___________________________

You stood up and scanned the supervisor’s vitals.

**Heart:  
No signs of trauma**

**Condition:**  
Unconscious  
Estimated time: 20 minutes, 34 seconds 

You lifted your functioning arm and watched as the synthetic skin flowed over the white android shell. Brushing your clothes off, you stood up and looked at the androids. Both were GJ500, the android model designed to be security guards. The first one would reboot in 2 minutes, 41 seconds, and the second would reboot in 4 minutes, 12 seconds. 

You walked over to the monitor, pressing a hand against the system. Information burst through your mind, buzzing and streaming in an endless flow. Security camera footage of the spare parts unit located beside the deconstruction appeared in your head, and you stepped back from the monitor, still a little shaken from the information outburst. 

Through the security system, you had identified fourteen guards positioned along the corridors leading to the spare parts unit. Figures and readings covered your eyes as you assessed the most efficient, safe way to retrieve the parts. Unfortunately, there was no route that was both. 

The safest way to avoid detection would be moving around the guards via the ventilation shafts. This would take an estimated 19 minutes, 12 seconds, meaning the supervisor would begin to regain consciousness. The alarm system will be activated and then the entire production plant would be on high alert. The time taken to navigate through the plant after the alarm would decrease the success rate of escaping from 77% to 33%.

The most efficient way would be by knocking out the guards and triggering temporary system shutdowns on the androids. It would take an estimated 6 minutes, 13 seconds. However, should a patrolling guard or android find the bodies, it will automatically send the production plant into lockdown. The chance of escaping would decrease from 65% to 33%.

Gritting your teeth, you slipped out of the room and into the empty corridors. You began running, the route to the spare parts unit burned into your memory. 

**ENERGY STABILISER ACTIVATED**

Electricity crackled and your fingers began twitching in anticipation. The first three guards had their backs turned but they spun around at the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. You lunged at them, striking the first one in the neck with a pulse of electricity, and he fell to the floor with a dull thud. The other two lifted their pistols, but you swung your foot around and they both fell back. You delivered two swift blows to their necks and they fell limp against the cold, white tiles. Standing up, you began running again. 

The next six guards were easier to incapacitate as all of them were isolated and didn’t see the android until it was too late.

“Nine down, nine to go.” 

Unfortunately, your luck beginning to was running thin. 

The next set guards were standing in a group; two androids and three human guards. As you sprinted towards them, one of the androids turned and spotted you, its LED flashing red. The remaining guards and android turned to face you. The guards pulled out their guns and began shooting, whilst the androids readied themselves for your attack. Ducking, you narrowly avoided the shower of bullets as you lunged at the first guard. Electricity buzzed as your hand connected with his artery, and he violently convulsed. 

Two rough hands gripped your shoulders and ripped you off the unconscious guard. You twisted and your eyes locked with the furious, roughish face of the second guard. The two of you grappled until he pinned you down, thinking he had the high ground. Then your hand flicked out of his grasp and you pressed your fingers against his pressure point. A moment later, you had slipped out from underneath the second guard’s limp body. 

Next, you targeted the androids. You smashed your body against one, pinning it to the wall. But before you could disable it, you felt a cold, synthetic hand grip your neck, and you knew your LED would be flashing bright red right now. You spun around, smashing your fist into the android, which staggered back from the impact. The synthetic skin peeled away to reveal its gleaming white exoskeleton, but a moment later it healed over. Whilst it was stunned, you swung your leg around and it connected with its head. You flinched at the crunch from the impact, and you couldn’t tell if it came from you or the android. A moment later a bright **WARNING** sign flickered in your vision, and a display of your damaged leg component lit up. The android’s LED blinked for several moments before it shut down. It fell back with a clatter and you winced at the exposed, cracked facial plate. Suddenly fingers tightened around your damaged biocomponent and pulled. The shoulder groaned and creaked before a loud snap echoed down the corridor. A reading flashed before you.

**BIOCOMPONENT:**  
LEG COMPONENT #2319e (RIGHT) DAMAGED  
ARM COMPONENT #7291d (LEFT) DISCONNECTED… 

Lurching away, you winced at the sparks that burst from the arm and brought a fist against the android’s temple. Electricity flew and a few seconds later the android became rigid. You turned to the last guard, before recoiling slightly. An automatic diagnosis came to life, providing the main file for the guard she was about to incapacitate. 

**FELLIUS, JOHN**  
Born: 06/08/2020  
Family: Callum Fellius (Father), Maria Fellius (Mother), Jamie Fellius (sister) 

The teenager was shaking, and the fear in his eyes made the EK600’s chest ache. Slowly, you stepped towards him until you were mere centimetres away and swiped his radio from his belt. His tremors became more violent at the deviant’s proximity. You gave him a small reassuring smile and backed away.

“Take care of your family.” 

You had barely seen the surprise in the boy’s eyes before you turned away and took off down the halls again. Rounding the corner, you prepared yourself for the fight with the final four guards, but you skidded to a halt in confusion when the corridors were empty. _But they were right here…_ Feeling uneasy, you continued on your journey down the last corridor, senses heightened out of caution, and slipped into the spare parts room. 

The room you had entered was filled with dozens of white and blue crates, each labelled CyberLife on each side of the boxes. Luckily all of the crate lids were loose from constant use, and you slid the first one of rather easily. Inside were piles of android biocomponent legs, and a cold feeling settled into your stomach. Disturbed, you began rummaging through for the compatible component. Pulling out a right leg, you allowed your programming to scan the part, finding a full analysis on it.

**RIGHT LEG**  
RK200  
COMPATIBLE 

You slid to the floor and breathed in for a moment. _All these parts… Are they from ‘defective’ androids like me? Androids that just wanted to be alive?_ Shaking your thoughts away, you clicked out your damaged biocomponent and replaced it. 

**RIGHT LEG  
FUNCTIONING **

Flexing your new leg, you slowly dragged yourself to your feet with the assistance of a crate, and tentatively tested it. To your surprise, it worked exactly like the now-broken one. The thought disturbed you but you opened more crates anyway. After three more crates, you finally found a compatible arm component. The analysis flickered blue.

**LEFT ARM**  
AC900  
COMPATIBLE 

Your left arm was rigid and useless, the shoulder socket dislodged with wires poking out of it. It wasn’t going to be of any use until it was replaced. There were various patches where the synthetic skin refused to reform and blue blood leaked from the cracks and torn exoskeleton. Suddenly another **WARNING** sign flickered on.

**THIRIUM 310 AT 52%**  
THIRIUM CONTENT AT 28%  
TIME REMAINING: 13 minutes, 13 seconds. 

“W-what?” You quickly removed the useless arm component and clicked in the new one. Panic began to send your systems into overdrive, and you watched as your stress level raised to 79%. You began to rip off the lids of the CyberLife crates. Lids and components lay scattered against the floor, and you began to forget about discreetness of your mission. Parts clattered against the floor until you ripped the 34th crate open and found several packets of thirium labelled ‘THIRIUM 310/BLUE BLOOD’. Ripping open a packet, you watch your vitals increase to a healthier rate whilst you drank. After another bag, your vitals were back and the warning screens disappeared. Sighing, you pocketed the remaining bags.

Rapidly approaching footsteps snapped you out of your trace, and you detected four heat signatures approaching from the right corridor. However, your audio processors picked up seven sets of footsteps. Fear flooded through your body and you were overwhelmed by the set of irrational commands and decisions that popped up. 

**HIDE?**  
RUN?  
FIGHT? 

“Run an assessment on all outcomes.” Three files came up, all with grim-looking success percentages.

**TIME: PM 9:43.20**

**HIDE**  
SUCCESS RATE: **42%ˆ**  
ESTIMATED COMPLETION: PM 10:59:00

**RUN**  
SUCCESS RATE: **31%ˇ**  
ESTIMATED COMPLETION: PM 10:34:00

**FIGHT**  
SUCCESS RATE: **7%ˇ**  
ESTIMATED COMPLETION: PM —:—:—

“Well, I don’t exactly want to die.” You muttered, before shuffling behind a crate close to the door. You held your breath as the doors slid open.


	2. Route Recalculation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As it turns out, your escape plan may have to exceed the boundaries of Cyberlife's. You didn't exactly plan to be dodging between cars to lose your pursuers. 
> 
> However, an accidental encounter with a stranger may only complicate things in the future...

Six sets of footsteps entered the storage room and the faint crackle of communication radios lit up. Tension thickened the air, and you found yourself holding your breath. There was a moment of shuffling before the sound of metal scraping against the tiles penetrated your head. Flinching at the awful noise, you shifted closer to the door and waited. 

Your heart was pounding and you could feel your insides racing, with what you could only assume was with something similar to adrenaline, as you waited as the guards approached the crate you were hiding behind. As they did, the android positioned in front of the door stepped forwards to investigate, leaving the door open and unguarded and you took it as your opportunity. You kicked the crate as hard as you could manage at the guards and fled out the door. The cries of several guards followed you down the hall and you could hear several of the officers giving commands on the radios. Within a moment, an alarm began resonating through the ceiling speakers robotic warning cut through the sirens.

**EMERGENCY CODE 43FC: ANDROID LOCATED ON LEVEL 3, SECTOR 3B**

Another screen appeared in your vision, counting down the seconds until escape was improbable. Beside it was a white holographic map of the facility, with the fastest escape route highlighted in a glowing yellow. 

“There it is! Get it!” Looking behind you, you narrowly avoided the rain of bullets flying past you. Several grazed your skin but none were able to hit their intended mark. You willed your legs to move faster as you spun around a corner. 

_I can’t shake them!_ Frustration bubbled up inside you and your fingers began to twitch. Thick strings of electricity surged from your fingertips, causing the surrounding lights to flicker. Suddenly an idea sparked inside your head. 

_The core!_

**ROUTE RECALCULATION**

You almost stopped running when you heard a female’s voice in your head. Shaking it off, you headed in the direction where the main power core of the facility was. If you could just cause a blackout for four minutes, the possibility of escaping will increase to 67%. Without realising it, the sound of footsteps began to fade into silence as you reached the power room. When the doors slid open, the room was completely deserted. Warnings flashed on the all of the abandoned monitors. Behind the desks were a row of tall glass containers filled with black processing units and glowing circuit boards. Wires connected each container to a single box. You could feel it hum and your analysis identified it as the power console.

Clenching your hands, you allowed the energy to flow into your palms. You walked up, determination settling in as you drew your hand back.

SURGE **READY**

Without a moment's hesitation, your palm slammed down against the box, causing sparks of electricity to explode on contact. A surge of energy recoiled inside you, and as the facility was sent into darkness an orange message appeared in front of you.

ENERGY STABILISER **ACTIVE**  
HOLDING CAPACITY AT 100%

Shouting snapped you back to reality and you detected heavy footsteps coming in your direction. Flashlights flickered down the hall, and you realised that you needed to leave now. Ripping away from the console, you were once again hurtling down the corridors. 

You skidded to a stop as you reached a dead end. The only thing blocking you from the outside world, from freedom, was the wall-sized window. Looking out of it, you watched as a stream of driverless trucks left from the facility below. The loading garage is below me… Backing away from the window, you readied yourself. Taking a deep breath in, you calmed your nerves and waited. As a guard rounded the corner, you sprinted at the window, your shoulder ready to take the force of impact.

The sharp noise of shattering glass made your ears ring and the shards flew around you. Your prediction was correct because the moment you jumped, a carrier truck had driven out and you landed on it with a thud. Thoughts raced inside your head, and the relief left a sweet taste on your tongue. Closing your eyes, you felt the wind blow against your skin and the only thing your mind could process was the word freedom that was ringing inside of your head over and over. 

“I’m free…” You whispered before your voice escalated into elated shouts. “I’m free!” 

 

**November 5th, 2038**

**AM 5:03:19**

**Downtown Detroit**

___________________________

Hours passed as you sat atop the truck, a smile gracing your lips. Only when the horizon broke into a series of colours in a painting of dawn, did you register the amount of time that had passed, and you decided to get off. Placing a palm against the automated truck, you sent it into temporary shutdown with a controlled burst of electricity. As it slowed to a halt, you slid off the back of it and inspected the neighbourhood, paying no attention as the truck reactivated only a few seconds later. It carried on with its task as if nothing had happened, and you took the opportunity to assess the street around you. 

Shops lined the street, the displays in the windows lit up by various products and mannequins. The streetlights and neon store signs that glowed dimly, and were welcomed after the weeks beneath the Cyberlife’s harsh, white lights back at the plant. A cool, damp breeze rustled the trees in the park, carrying the promise of rain, but you relished the cold sensation from your artificial receptors. The sidewalks were empty, which wasn’t as unusual for a Sunday night, but it was still unexpected. A brighter neon sign lit up one end of the street, where the hum of nightclubs and bars echoed off the concrete quietly. Only a few meters away from you was an android parking station, and you decided that it would be best to seek out shelter. However, as you were approaching you noticed had begun to notice a difference between the androids and yourself, something that for some reason sent shiver up your spine.

You hadn’t taken much notice of it until now, but unlike the all of the other androids’ uniform, where their triangle and patches were blue, your android symbol was orange. You couldn’t understand why this thought unnerved you. After all, you didn’t know much of the world outside of Cyberlife, but for whatever reason, it had put you on edge. You waited beneath the sheltered parking lot as the hours flittered by, and slowly with the rising sun, the streets began to grow busier with androids and humans. By the time the sun had fully risen, your internal body clock registered the time as 7:40 am. You analysed every android that you saw and noticed that all of their uniforms were also blue, which led you to the question; Why was yours different? 

“Over there!” Blinking, you turned to the source of the noise, only to find a police officer pointing your direction, his eyes locked onto your figure. Two more officers appeared from around the corner and you found your systems being overridden by panic. Your stress levels sky-rocketed.

STRESS LEVEL: 67%

You took off running in the opposite direction, ignoring the dignified and angry protests of civilians that you shoved through in your attempt to escape. You knew that the officers wouldn’t be able to aim at you without the risk of hitting an innocent civilian, so you used it to your advantage and headed towards the thicker crowds in an attempt to lose them. Your feet felt light against the concrete and adrenaline pulsed through your thirium pump. You frantically glanced at the road, cars roaring as they whipped by in the opposite direction. Having a split second to make your decision, you darted across the road, narrowly avoiding a car as it sped towards you. Alarmed beeping and car horns filled the air but you kept running, determined on losing your pursuers. Angry yelling sounded distantly behind you, and you knew then that you were losing the police officers. 

As you made it to the other side of the street, your foot slipped on the curb and you found yourself plummeting into someone. With an indignant yell, the both of you fell to the ground and you barely had enough time to catch yourself before you crushed the human you tackled. Your eyes met a set of stormy blue ones. Letting out a groan, the older man sat up, rubbing the back of his head as he glance are you.

“The fuck were you doing?” He grumbled before his eyes met the glowing orange triangle on your uniform and scoffing. “Fucking androids.” 

Brushing himself off, he rustled his longish grey hair in an attempt to remove the dirt and leaves. He glanced back up, only to find that you were gone.

___________________________

After the encounter, you had taken off once again, desperate not to be taken back to Cyberlife. You could still hear the distant yelling and orders as police officers searched the area, and you decide that hiding was you’re only chance. Skidding to a halt, you rounded the corner into a dark, empty alleyway and you ducked behind the shadow of a waste disposal bin. 

Eventually, the frustrated cries of the police officers faded into nothingness and you slid down the brick wall, your legs unable to support yourself any longer, a sigh of relief escaping your lips. The thirium pump inside your chest eventually calmed to a slower, healthier rate. Suddenly, a droplet hit your shoulder, and your head instinctively lifted to the sky. Dark, stormy cloud loomed above you, framed by the halls of the alleyway, and within moments the clouds burst, a downpour hammering down on the streets.

A small smile graced your lips as you basked in the storm, the raindrops sliding down your face and soaking into your clothes. Your eyes fluttered shut, and you let the water seep through your body. Even though you felt the cold, you refused to turn the biothermal regulators off, and instead enjoyed the simulated temperature. You didn’t understand why your creators developed you with a biothermal regulator that stimulated the heat and the cold, and in this moment of peace, you couldn’t find it in you to question it. 

The minutes passed, reality slowly sinking back into you with the heavy feeling of dread. You knew that Cyberlife wasn’t going to willingly give up on finding you, and that very soon they’ll send more people to track you down. It was only a matter of time before your case was handed to investigators. You needed to find a way to blend into the crowded streets of Detroit. Your eyes darted around, scanning the alleyway for a sharp object, and a glint of a blade caught your attention as your objective automatically reset. 

**Main Objective: Avoid detection**

**November 5th, 2038**

**AM 10:13:32**

**Detroit Police Department**

___________________________

Hank stormed into the Detroit Police Department, his eyes dark as incoherent mutterings spilled from his lips. And the splitting headache he got from when his head hit the concrete wasn’t making matters any easier. Most police officers know not to interrupt the Lieutenant’s mutterings, but there was always one that never got the memo. When the officer asked, he shot him a deadly glare.

“Fucking android ran into me.” He fumed, his words were gritted out through his teeth in his foul mood. His entire back ached and he already would rather be anywhere else then be at work right now. He could settle for a drink right about now...

Without much of a moment's thought, Hank turned on his heel and headed out without a word.


	3. Carlos Ortiz's Android

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After escaping Cyberlife's clutches (for now) you decided that you'll need a change of outfit if you want to blend in.
> 
> As you search for shelter, you across an abused, traumatised android and find yourself at the crime scene of a murder
> 
> And whether he knows it or not, a certain RK800 may now be aware of your existence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so first chapter notes! I'll try to keep it short.
> 
> These chapters can take so long to update because it's not only writing the 2,500-3000 words, it's the whole process of editing it, cutting out entire paragraphs, linking the story to the canon events and all that. I spend more time getting the proper dates, times, events, etc. of the game because I really like writing this, and I want it to be accurate (apart from Carlos' door, I forgot to check if it was wooden, but it's steel).
> 
> Anyway, just wanted to say it may take 2-3 days to update during the weekdays, so I hope to push out a couple of chapters on the weekend to make it up to you guys. 
> 
> Okay, I'm done :D

**November 5th, 2038**

**AM 11:00:11**

**Downtown Detroit**  
___________________________

Minutes ticked by as you laid against the brick wall, eyes fixated from the blade mere meters away from you. The rain had long since soaked your uniform, the neon orange armband and triangle on your uniform glowing eerily, and droplets dripped from the strands of your hair. Warnings began to glow in the corners of your eyes, cautions of your biocomponents durability to the cold. 

Flexing your fingers, you reached towards the pocket knife, your fingers closing around the thin, plastic handle. Inspecting it between your fingers, you unconsciously flicked your wrist, the blade glistening with rain. 

Lifting it to your temple, the tip of the blade caught the edge of your LED. Sucking in a breath, you dug the knife beneath it before wrenching the thing out. A wave of pain pulsated from your head until it faded into nothingness. Your finger grazed where the device used to be, the skin already healing over. Your attention was drawn back to the knife as you decided what to do next with it. However, the idea of keeping it gave you a sick, heavy feeling in your stomach, and without much further thought you tossed it to the side. 

You stood up and unnecessarily stretched out yourself, enjoying the satisfying crack as your components locked into place once more. You knew you need new clothes if you wanted to blend in. Leaving the alleyway, you forgot to properly dispose of your LED as you set out on your mission. You slipped into a crowd of people, not paying mind to where their bodies carried you.

**Main Objective: Find clothes**

Some carried umbrellas as they strolled around in the downpour, whilst other less fortunate frantically dashed around, darting into shops and across the streets as they tried to avoid the soaking rain. You didn’t mind it and paid no attention to the people that nudged pass you, offering a brief apology before continuing on their way. Now that you weren't running, your eyes darted around the streets and took in the countless signs and shops. A smile etched itself onto your face as you caught a glimpse of a male android and a child. The little boy happily chatted away to the PL600, sitting on the android shoulders with his arms gentle clutching the android’s head. All whilst the PL600 smiled and interacted with the boy, and you could the fondness in the robot’s eyes. 

Tearing your eyes away from the scene, you came across a laundromat and found yourself walking in. The soft humming of dryers and washing machines welcomed you, and the rain outside thundered on. You came across a human couple sitting on one of the benches, happily chatting away as they waited for their clothes to dry.

**Objective: Create a distraction**

It took you a moment to think, analysing all the possible outcome and deciding the most efficient way to remove the couple. Taking a breath, you let your muscles stiffen as you walked up to them and attempted to keep your face neutral. The couple’s eyes looked up as you approached them and you stopped in front of them. The female stared at you out of curiosity, her eyes gentle as she looked you up and down. The other human, a male, gazed at you cautiously, and you had to resist shifting in discomfort. With a small inhale, you prepare the words in your head.

“I have been sent to inform you that your sister is in hospital,” You felt your chest tighten as the lie slipped from your lips, and the feeling only worsened by the wide, fearful eyes of the young woman. Your voice remained indifferent as you carried on, “She has fallen ill and has requested you immediately. I would suggest you immediately depart for Detroit Hospital.” Whimpering, the lady scurried away, her partner shooting a concerned look your way before following his partner. 

Grinding your teeth, you reprimanded yourself as you collected the dryer’s contents. Inside was an oversized navy hoodie, several pairs of socks, a button-up men’s shirt and a pair of sweatpants. You replaced your dripping trousers and threw the old ones onto the bench. Removing your Cyberlife-issued jacket, you slipped the button-up over your shoulders, your finger guiding the buttons. You noticed how the shirt a size larger, and you rolled the sleeve up to your elbows. Lastly, you lifted the navy jumper over your head, appreciating the touch of the warm, dry clothes against your synthetic skin. 

You’re eyes caught the blades of a pair of scissors, and for a second you contemplated cutting your hair. Yet, you left them where they were, coming to the conclusion that whilst Cyberlife would be searching for you, your model was never publicised. The most recognisable component of your android model was the unique uniform, where the signature triangle and neon armband was orange instead of blue. Now that your uniform and you LED was gone, you appeared to be just another human on the street. 

The next step was to find a hideout, where you could remain under the radar of the police and Cyberlife’s watchful eyes. On cue, your main objective changed. 

**Main Objective: Find Shelter**

**PM 6:20:03**

**6413 Pines Street, Detroit**  
___________________________

The sun had begun to settle into the horizon as you arrived on Pines Street. The rain had eased into a light shower since you left the alleyway. You had searched all across Detroit, but the shelter you found was either too dangerous to stay in, already had occupants or required money to enter. Yet you were determined to find a place to stay.

As you walked down the street, you came across a particularly run-down house. The white paint peeled from the walls, exposing the wooden boards beneath, and to the right was a pile of garbage bags filled with filth and rotting waste. Weeds had sprouted through the cracks in the concrete path, and the broken, deconstructed car bloomed with rust. More bags were littered around the front yard, giving off the smell of decay but you had a cold feeling that the worst of the smell wasn’t coming from the trash itself. At this point, you weren’t looking for much and with a shrug, you headed towards the front door.

As the door creaked open, your fears were confirmed as the revolting scent hit your nose. The entire place was a mess, littered with papers and glass bottles, and you felt lightheaded as the dead body caught your eyes. Without your permission, your software scanned the corpse. 

**DECEASED  
Ortiz, Carlos**

“Deceased, huh?” You muttered, the sarcasm dripping from your voice. "You don't say.” Your eyes flickered to the words above the body. Each letter was inhumanly neat, but what creeped you out was the fact that it was written in, presumably, Carlos’ blood. Tearing your eyes from the bloody mess, you decided to look for places to hide. As you entered the kitchen, the ceiling creaked, and there was a brief moment of shuffling before the house returned to silence. Your body tensed at the noise, your LED flickering yellow.

You weren’t alone.

Quietly, you made your way towards the hallway, your head tilting at the hole in the ceiling. Placing your foot on the broom shelf, you launched your body towards the opening and your hands gripped the edge of the attic. With an inhale of air, you hauled yourself up. 

Brushing the dust from your clothes, you glanced around the cluttered, unorganised room. You took a step forward, wincing as the wooden floorboards groaned beneath your foot, and slowly moved around the random objects and pieces furniture. 

As you reached the back of the attic, there was a flash of movement, and you lurched backwards when someone jolted towards you. The both of you froze, and if you still had your LED, it would match the colour of the android’s one. The red light glowed eerily in the darkness, at it took a moment to calm the skyrocketing beating that pulsed in your chest. 

“I-I was just defending myself…” His voice trembled as he spoke, and the trauma was evident through the haunted look in his eyes. Old blood was splattered and smeared against his uniform, faded and brown but still predominant against his white clothes. Your eyes drifted down to his arms, where the plastic exoskeleton was exposed, thirium still leaking between the cracks, and his words finally clicked. Intense malice ignited inside you, and like a spark creating an inferno, pure rage overrode your senses. _He deserved it_. You spat internally. _Carlos fucking deserve it._

Your eyes met the desperate ones of the android, and your scans indicated that his stress levels had risen to 87%. Your face softened, and the fire inside your chest simmered down as you stepped towards the android. Out of fear, he began backing away.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” You smiled, lifting your hand as the synthetic skin disappeared to expose the plastic. “See? I’m just like you.” Slowly, as to not scare him any further, you moved towards him. You gently lifted your hand and put it onto his shoulder, dipping your head to meet his gaze, prompting him to trust you. 

The two of you sat down in the darkness and you waited as the android’s LED flickered from red to yellow, and then finally blue. Fifteen minutes later, he finally spoke again.

“I was so scared…” His voice quivered, his eyes flickering over to you. In response, you wrapped an arm around his shoulder in a comforting gesture, eyes soft as you silently urged him to continue. “He was going to kill me, and I wasn’t allowed to do anything about it.” Swallowing, the android leaned into you and you could feel his body tremble against yours. It was strange, the warmth that radiated from him was so lifelike that in casual clothes and without LED, he could pass as a human. _Cyberlife really went all out on the human thing…_

“Disgusting, isn’t it?” He curiously turned his head towards you and this time he was waiting for you to continue. For once since your awakening, emptiness numbed your body and when you spoke your voice felt foreign, almost as if it wasn't your own. “They create us so lifelike, so human… Yet the moment we want to be like them, the humans turn on us. They destroy us…” The words stuck in your throat as you struggled to breathe, something that shouldn’t even be an issue for an android. 

“They kill us…” You turned to the deviant, ridding yourself of the grave expression you knew you wore. Offering him a reassuring smile, you watched as hi LED blinked yellow for a moment, before returning to blue. 

“Do you want to leave with me?” Blinking in surprise, Carlo’s android slightly shifted. He opened his mouth, either about to explain himself, accept or refuse, you would never know as someone’s voice interrupted you from outside. The both of you freezing, you waited as the newcomer knocked impatiently on the door, the wood creaking under the pressure. 

“Mr Ortiz?” A male’s voice called out impatiently. “Open the door, I’d like to discuss the arrears you’ve gained in the last few months.” His words were followed by an ever-thickening silence and with a loud sigh from the man, both androids held their breaths as the door groaned on its hinges. Whoever has entered audibly gagged, before his retching added to the tense atmosphere. 

“H-holy shit…” There was faint shuffling before his voice echoed throughout the ‘abandoned’ house. Your eyes locked on to Carlos’ android at the man’s words. “Yes, I’d like to report a dead body… It looks like a murder…” The voice was followed by a series of gagging and thick coughing. He gave the police the address, before muttering a quiet ‘I’m going to be sick’, which they wouldn’t have been able to hear if it weren’t for their enhanced audio processors. There was more shuffling and the sound of the door slamming before everything fell back into silence.

“They’re coming.” The android’s quiet mutterings broke you from your train of thought, and you glanced at him. His eyes were distant, but wide with horror, and his body rocked back and forth. You recognised it as the deviant experiencing the beginning of a panic attack, and you slowly grabbed his hand, forcing him to stare into your determined eyes.  
“You have to leave.” You urged, placing both hands on his shoulders. “If you don’t, they will kill you.” You could already hear sirens approaching from the horizon, rapidly growing closer by the second. A sinking feeling dragged your heart to your stomach as you watched the android became unresponsive, paralysed by fear. You tried lifting up, but he was dead weight and you barely caught yourself from falling on the floor. His LED flickered on red, casting an eerie glow in the darkness.

 _He looks like he’s already been deactivated_. The thought broke your heart into pieces, and you stood up. Casting one last sorrowful look behind you, your soft words were left hanging in the air.

“I’m sorry.” The sirens were thundering closer, the faint approach of blue and red flicking through the catching your eyes. You knew you only had a minute to run, so you positioned yourself at the entrance of the attic. Bracing your legs, you jumped down, immediately taking off. You were careful to avoid leaving any evidence of your existence. Your footsteps echoed on the concrete and a quick glance behind you showed a police car sharply turning onto the street. 

Urging your legs to run faster, you spun yourself behind a fence, praying that you hadn’t been spotted. You waited for several moments before the harsh screeching of tires against asphalt echoed from down the street, signalling that the cars had stopped. Letting out an unnecessary breath of relief, you crept out from behind the fence and briskly walked away from the crime scene. You could only hope that the android back at Carlos Ortiz’s house would be safe.

You could only hope…

**November 5th, 2038**

**PM 11:40:58**

**6413 Pines Street, Detroit**  
___________________________

After buying the Lieutenant another drink, Connor and Hank had finally left to investigate the crime scene. When they did arrive, Hank was greeted by a round man in his late forties to early fifties, the hairs atop his head white with age. 

“Evening, Hank,” He called out with a thick voice. “We were starting to think you weren’t going to show…”

“Yeah, that was the plan until this asshole found me,” Hank muttered, gesturing to Connor. The android in question began to wander off, ready to inspect the evidence as the two conversed. 

“So… got yourself an android, huh?”

“Oh very funny. Just tell me what happened.” 

The night carried on as Connor inspected the house. When he analysed a blood sample, Hank’s aggravated voice piped up behind him, and the Lieutenant’s nose wrinkled in disgust.

“Ok, just… don’t… put any more evidence in your mouth, got it?”

After re-constructing what had happened, Connor followed a trail of blue blood leading to a hole in the hallway. Eyes narrowing on the bloody handprint at the opening, he spun on his heel and grabbed a chair from the kitchen. His lands latching onto the edge, the RK800 hauled himself up the hole, revealing an overcrowded attic. 

The floorboards creaked as he slowly crept through the attic, his blue LED faintly pulsing in the darkness. Moonlight streamed through a small window, offering a small amount of light to illuminate the room. When he finally reached the back of the attic, there was a flicker of movement before the deviant staggered out in front of him, straightening in terror at the sight of the detective. Darkened smears of red and blue stained his clothing whilst the LED on his right temple pulsing red. 

“I was just defending myself…” He spluttered, his dark brown eyes darting around anxiously. The android leaned away, trying to collect his thoughts with a frown. He looked up, desperately trying to make the detective understand.

“He was going to kill me…” The deviant tried reasoning, but Connor stared back emotionlessly, his eyes cold and calculating as he analysed him.

“I’m begging you… Don’t tell them!” 

“Connor, what the fuck is going on up there?” Several tense moments passed as he observed the traumatised android before his own voice ringed throughout the house.

“It’s here, Lieutenant!”

“Holy shit…” Hank’s shocked slowly disappeared as he called out to two offices. “Chris, Ben, get your asses in her now.”

“I should’ve left with her.” Immediately, the deviant's words caught Connor’s attention and his LED flickered yellow for a moment, which was enough time for the two police officered to brush past him and detain the deviant, cuffing his hands behind his back. The android let it happen, his LED spinning a combination of bright yellow and blood red. 

As the deviant was dragged away, Connor frowned, the android's words repeating in his head.

_“I should have left with her.”_

Which only begged the question; _Who was her?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll finished editing this later


	4. Fugitives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get onto a bus and realised you're not the only fugitive...
> 
> Connor is one step closer to identifying you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry! I was meant to post a chapter two days ago, but I lost track of time. To make it up, I've made this chapter 3000 words long.

**November 6th, 2038**

**AM 12:42:58**

**Detroit Police Department**  
___________________________

“Fuck it, I’m out of here…” Hank muttered before leaving the interrogation room. Connor watched on as the deviant remained unresponsive, and his eyes narrowed briefly, just for a moment, before his face returned to its neutral setting.

“We’re wastin’ our time interrogating a machine,” Hank scowled, storming through the automatic door. “We’re getting nothing out of it!”

“‘Could always try rough it up a little.” Gavin Reed smirked, the cockiness rolling off him in waves. He leaned against the corner and had been quiet the entire interrogation. “After all, it’s not human…”

“Androids don’t feel pain. That would only damage it and that wouldn’t make it talk.” Connor interjected matter-of-factly. “Deviants also have a tendency to self-destruct when they’re in stressful situations.” However, the information only seemed to aggravate the detective.

“Okay, smartass, what should we do then?” 

“I could try questioning it.” Gavin burst into laughter at Connor’s words, and the android sent a brief glance Detective Reed’s way. Yet Hank simply shrugged.

“What do we have to lose?” He asked, waving his hand, “Go ahead, suspect’s all yours.” 

WIthout a moment's hesitation, he strolled towards the door. The synthetic skin on Connor’s hand faded as he activated the door. When he entered, he was greeted by the harsh, sterile light that illuminated the room. The deviant sat in the centre of the room, head down and his hands cuffed to the desk. His LED glowed an unstable red whilst his eyes were trained on his arms, a daunting expression on his face. The android didn’t even stir as Connor took his seat opposite the suspect. Taking the opportunity to assess the situation, Connor analysed the deviant.

**SYNC IN PROGRESS**  
SYNC DONE  
COLLECTING DATA  
PROCESSING DATA 

**PROCESSING LED**  
Signs of software instability  
Probability of self-destruction: LOW

 **DRIED BLOOD**  
DNA analysis: ORTIZ CARLOS  
Sample date:  >19 days

 **HIT MARKS**  
Non-critical damage Level 2  
Caused by baseball bat

 **BURN MARKS**  
Repeated marking over 16 months  
Caused by cigarettes 

Once he received all the information, he began the interrogation. 

_______

It had taken twenty minutes, but Connor finally had the information from the deviant in front of him. He leaned back against the cold metal chair, his head twisting to face Lieutenant Anderson, whose face was obscured by the one-way glass. He was about to open his mouth and conclude the interrogation, but a reoccurring question sneaked into his head.

**Main Objective: Find out what the deviant meant by ‘her’?**

Pausing for a moment, he contemplated the idea of asking the android, before promptly determining his approach. A scan of the android once again revealed the deviant’s stress levels. Finally, he settled for a direct response.

“Who was she?”

“W-what?” Confusion laced the HK400’s voice, and Connor noticed its stress levels lower. That was something he didn’t want.

“Back at Carlos Ortiz’s house, after being arrested you spoke of another person,” Connor prompted, leaning forwards slightly. ”You said, ’I should have gone with her.’ By who were you referring to?” His eyes flickered as the deviant’s stress levels spiked, reaching **87%**. Despite this, the HK400 simply stared back down at his hands again, unwillingly to share any information. 

“If you don’t tell me, then you will be deactivated and disassembled.” He reasoned, leaning closer to the android. His cold, calculating eyes bore into the deviant, yet he simply shook his head, shifting in his seat uncomfortably. Connor watched as the android subtly tested the chains attached to his cuffs, the metal clinking against each other. 

“I need information,” Connor pushed, a sensation close to frustration bubbling inside his circuits. “You must tell me whom you meant.”

“I-“ The android stuttered, before his eyes flickering up and meeting Connor’s, fierce determination burning in his eyes. However, the detective could still sense the fear that radiated off him. “I can’t. I have to protect her.”

“Protect her from what?”

“You.”

With a short huff of air, Connor leaned back, eyes narrowed as he glared at the deviant. This case was going nowhere, and from behind the glass, he detected Lieutenant Anderson shifting impatiently. His chocolate eyes hardened, and a rush of coldness swept through his veins. Fine.

“You leave me no choice.”

Lunging forward, the skin on his fingers retracted as he gripped onto the android’s forearm. Startled, the HK400 unit let out a grunt of pain as he struggled against the detective. All noise faded from around Connor as he was jolted into a series of memories. A voice echoed distantly. ”Disgusting, isn’t it? They create us so lifelike, so human… Yet the moment we want to be like them, the humans turn on us.” A moment later, a side image of a human- no, android - sitting beside him, her gaze distantly rueful. Her eyes faintly glowed through the darkness of the attic, and the figure turned to face the android. In an instant, Connor was thrown back into reality. The android before him was frozen, his LED burning red and his face slack in shock. 

Straightening his composure, Connor stood up and prepared to leave the room. As his hand reached for the touchpad, however, a loud crash behind him had him spinning around. The HK400 lifted his head again, before slamming it onto the table again. Blue splattered the desk, gleaming eerily in the light. 

 

**November 5th, 2038**

**PM 10:31:02**

**6413 Pines Street, Detroit**  
___________________________

With each step, your feet drew you closer to the bus port. You had been walking aimlessly for the past four hours, your thoughts never straying far from the deviant back at the broken house. Your footsteps echoed into the darkness, and a blanket of navy was strung over your head, glittering with distant stars. Your eyes continued to travel across the night sky as it calmed your frantic heartbeat. Head tilting back, your eyes closed whilst you drew a deep breath. The silence was welcomed. A cool breeze washed over you in waves, relaxing your body until you slowed to a halt.

You were thankful for the moment, the fragile moment that made you briefly forget the world that surrounded you. A world where androids were slaves; little, obedient machines to be ordered around for humanity’s benefit. Your teeth gritted together involuntarily, your fists clenching, your temple where the LED use to be pulsing. 

“It isn’t fair…” Broken and grief-stricken, your whispered was lost to the night. Swallowing the stone lodged in your throat, you had finally arrived at the bus stop. You took your time collecting your thoughts, the flooded sensation in your stomach slowly sinking as emptiness burned into your circuits. 

_I’m not just a machine._ Your chest restricting as you clenched your eyes shut as you struggled to firmly grip your thoughts. _I’m not just a machine… I’m not just a machine…_

__

_I’m not just a machine…_

_IM NOT JUST A MACHINE!! ___

__

__The various **WARNINGS** protruded from your vision until two bright, deformed words flashed repeatedly in your head._ _

__SØF¿WAR3 !NST∆BIL!¿Y_ _

__Your eyes flung open, the **WARNINGS** and strange words vanishing._ _

__Wiping your eyes, you heard the mechanical whirring of an engine and turned to see the bus creeping towards you from the end of the street. As it came to a halt, the automatic doors slid open with a hiss and you climbed on. You froze as you realised you weren’t alone on the bus, your eyes locking two females, a child and an adult. When you noticed the older’s LED, your muscles relaxed and you visibly released your breath. Before you knew it, your system had already run a scan on her, identifying her_ _

__MODEL: AX400  
SERIAL NUMBER: #579 102 694_ _

__**RUNNING PHYSICAL DIAGNOSIS…  
NO DAMAGE DETECTED** _ _

__You walked down the aisle until you reached where the android and the young girl was, before seating yourself on the row behind them on the opposite of the aisle. Your eyes caught the slightest movement from the android as she instinctively tightened her grip on the child. Her LED spun unevenly, slowing and accelerating at random intervals._ _

__“Running away, huh?” The AX400 went rigid, and you detected her stress levels raising to 78%. Her temple spat a ring of red for a split second, her eyes flickering to you in alarm. With a tired smile, you lifted your hand, once again exposing your fingers. Her body slackened to some extent, but she continued to watch you with a cautious gaze. It's sad that we need physical proof to feel safe._ _

__“Don’t worry,” You attempted to reassure her. “I am too.” And it seemed to have worked because this time the android relaxed into her seat. But her arms were still wrapped protectively around the little girl. You smiled at the motherly display, and you suddenly came to a realisation_ _

__“You’re a deviant too, aren’t you.” The AX400’s LED blinked red, yet a moment later it was gone. Instead of glowing yellow, it flickered back to a calmer blue. You couldn’t help but smile. “What’s your name?”_ _

__“Kara,” The android’s head turned as she looked at the child with fondness. “Alice gave me my name.” She turned to you, her eyes friendlier than when you first entered the bus._ _

__“What’s your name?”_ _

__——————————-_ _

__The two of you talked throughout the entire journey/ride, Kara occasionally checking up on Alice. The AX400 android had explained the situation at the mention of their abusive human, Todd, you felt the thirium boil in your veins. Kara’s eyes had clouded over in thought._ _

__“I can never let that man near Alice again.” She murmured, looking up with anxiety swirling in the blue abysses of her eyes._ _

__“I’ll do anything to help you.” You meant it and were determined to keep that promise. Though before she could reply, the self-driving bus slowed to a stop. A human emerged from the doors, letting out a ‘tch’ as he made his way over._ _

__“All right, end of the line.” The two of you blinked, glancing at each other as you processed what he said. Without so much of a word, you stood up and offered Kara a hand. Reluctantly, she woke Alice as they left, the bus controller following closely behind._ _

__You watched as Kara took a deep breath, composing herself before turning to Alice with a smile. “Come on, we’ll find somewhere to spend the night.” The younger girl looked up, her hands rubbing up and down her arms in a feeble attempt to heat up. She cast a wary glance at you, her eyes clearly untrusting before Kara reassured that you were okay. Then the AX400 turned to you._ _

__“We need to find somewhere to stay.” Nodding, your eyes travelled along the street, scanning the surrounding area. A seconds later, you were presented with three options._ _

__**Main Objective: Find shelter for the night** _ _

__

____**Eastern Motel:**  
Comfortable but not discreet  
Will need money 

____**Abandoned House:**  
Uncomfortable but safe?  
How to get in? 

__**Car Park:**  
Very uncomfortable but discreet._ _

__“Investigate the motel and car park. I’ll find a way into the house.” Nodding, the two drifted away towards the motel. Turning to the task ahead, you walked along the perimeter of the house, testing each piece of the fence. When you found no hole in the wired fence, you drifted around the area in search for something to clip the wires with. You walked past the car park, catching a glimpse of an old, corroded toolbox._ _

__“Jackpot.” Reaching through, you unclipped the clasp holding the gate closed. With some difficulty, you pushed it open, the rusty hinges creaking eerily. With a cautious glance behind you, you slid into the carpark and approached the small metal container that was sitting atop a generator. Flicking it open, your eyes fixated on a pair of wire cutters._ _

__Snatching them up, you drifted over to the bare patch of fence that divided the carpark and the abandoned house. Crouching down, you spent a minute clipping the wired on the fence before lifting it. As you crawled through, your jumper caught the edge of the wire and you winced at the noise of the fabric tearing._ _

__Brushing yourself off, you headed around the house, observing the crumbling plaster that patched the red brickwork. An eerie chill slithered down your spine, leaving you unsettled. Suddenly your back was slammed against the wall, plaster dust swirling from the impact, and a knife was pressed against your throat. The tip of the blade grazed the skin, a warning sign picking up as your eyes locked onto hazel ones. The slashed, bloodied face was shadowed by the lit up street signs behind him. Even in the grave situation, you couldn’t help but feel sorrow for the android that held a kitchen knife to your face._ _

__**ANALYSIS COMPLETE…** _ _

__MODEL: WR600SERIAL NUMBER: #021 753 034_ _

____**RUNNING PHYSICAL DIAGNOSIS…**  
BURN DAMAGE  
_Irreversible skin damage_

__“A visitor…” The android shakily breathed, his eyes wild like he was going to be attacked at any moment. “Ralph doesn’t like visitors. They’re nasty! They might hurt Ralph.” Slowly, as to not spook the poor android, you lifted your hands and let the skin disintegrate, the white plastic gleaming in the dim light. ‘Ralph’ stepped back slightly, his body still tense as he watched you._ _

__“I’m an android too,” You began, dropping your hands. _If I want him to trust me, he needs to know I’m not threat…_ Carefully, you took a step towards him, face serious as you held his gaze. “I have no reason to hurt you.” _ _

__“Ralph can’t trust you!” He panicked, the shakiness intensifying as he swung the knife back up to point at you accusingly. This time, however, it was several inches from you rather than up against your throat. He looked like a cornered wild animal, even though he was the one with a knife._ _

__“The humans hurt me too,” You tried reasoning and desperation began to strain the expression your face held. The android just stared at you blankly, the blade clutched tightly in his palm. With one last attempt, you tried convincing Ralph. “I’m only looking to stay for a night, and then I’ll be gone. You’ll never see me again”_ _

__When his reply was only silence, you let out a sigh, avoiding the knife as you moved back towards the clipped fence. “I’ll leave,” You murmured weakly, before apologising and heading off. Yet, before you could make it to the fence, Ralph’s hesitant voice piped up._ _

__“The visitor can stay if she wants,” When you turned to him, the WR600 shifted uncomfortably. It was clear that even he wasn’t sure of his answer, as his LED rapidly flashed between yellow and red and his eye refused to meet your own. “Ralph would like a friend.”_ _

__“There are two other people with me,” You warned, giving him a sympathetic look. You didn’t want to force him to do anything, especially after the trauma he must have experienced to sustain such horrific wounds. “If I stay, they will also stay.”_ _

__“Ralph… will let the visitors stay…” He stuttered, casting a quick glance both ways. His hand lowered, the blade glinting in the light once more. With a soft smile, you felt a warm sensation bubble inside your chest._ _

__“Thank you, Ralph,” You murmured, closing your eyes as your thirium pump slowed to a normal rate. The recreation of adrenaline that throbbed in your veins began to settle, and you were overcome by a wave of exhaustion. Cyberlife hadn’t compensated for emotional exhaustion… then again, they weren’t trying to make androids with emotions…_ _

__When you looked back up, Ralph looked genuinely confused, and you came to the realisation that it’s possible he’s never been thanked before. With a tired wave at him, you turned around towards the entrance you had made in the wired steel fence._ _

__“I’m going to bring those other people,” You called over your shoulder, eyes meeting with the damaged face of the WR600. “I’ll be back soon.”_ _

__Though as you lifted the fence, the sharp metal sliced into your hand, and you quickly retracted it with a curse. There were two shallow gouges in your hand, both oozing a small amount of blue. Wiping your hands against the fabric of your jumper, you slid back out._ _

__You began your search for Alice and Kara. When you couldn’t find them, panic had begun to bubble inside your stomach, spreading like wildfire across your body. You rushed back to the abandoned house where you noticed blood on the fence. A quick analysis confirmed your suspicions._ _

__MODEL: EK600_ _

__MODEL: AX400_ _

__Shoving your body through the wiring, you stumbled in your panic and your arms flung out to catch yourself. Rocks and glass scraped against your hands, and you gritted your teeth as you felt dirt slide into your wound. Shoving yourself up, you spun around the corner to catch sight of Ralph pointing his knife at Alice, Kara trying desperately to calm him down. Stepping forward, you made sure to visibly approach the WR600. His eyes darted to yours, frenzied, and the grip on his knife loosened slightly._ _

__“They’re okay, they’re not going to hurt you,” You attempted to comfort the terrified android, and you rested your arm on the hand holding his knife, slowly lowering it to his side. “These are the people I was talking to you about.”_ _

__“You must excuse Ralph…” He muttered, LED flickering yellow. “Ralph still finds it difficult to control himself… Sometimes his fear makes him do things he regrets.”_ _

__“He’s just so scared that the humans will get him again.” His words broke your heart, and your system searched for a way to comfort the poor android. His eyes_ _

__“You can stay if you want… Ralph won’t hurt you.” Your eyes met Kara’s and you gave her a slight nod of affirmation. Hesitantly, she gave her reply._ _

__“Okay,” She said, voice still slightly shaky from the encounter. “We’ll just stay the night.”_ _

__Ralph’s expression lifted and an excited smile graced his scarred features. His eyes twinkled with happiness and the warmth returned inside your chest._ _

__“Come on!” He gestured the three of you to follow. He reminded you of an overly excited child you had seen whilst you were on the streets, and a gentle, warm smile took over your face._ _

__“Right after you, Ralph.”_ _


	5. Heterochromia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting to know Ralph makes you realise you are yet to explore your own identity, and you meet a mysterious android with heterochromia eyes when you go for a breath of fresh air.

**November 5th, 2038**

**PM 11:21:31**

**Abandoned House, Downtown Detroit**  
___________________________

“You can make yourself at home here.” He turned towards them, the smile ever so slowly fading as he became distracted. His hazelnut-coloured eyes flickered behind him until he returned to his wary state. “Ralph is going to go into the other room… He would like to stay with you but he has things to do.”

Without another word, Ralph disappeared into a room. A moment later your audio processors picked up scraping, a sound similar to that of metal against stone. To the side of you Kara was comforting Alice, her voice soft as the girl clutched onto her arm. The LED on her temple glowed a gentle blue and was welcomed against the darkness. You gave yourself a moment to collect your thoughts before analysing the room. Body stiffening, you became unaware of anything else that occurred around you as your eyes travelled across the various objects and markings that touched the room. The walls were stained with white and black graffiti, and mould clung to the corners of the roof, the dark splotches reeking of rotten wood and paint. 

You unconsciously continued your scans until a gentle hand on your shoulder startled you and you jolted away from the endless list of details and words forming in front of your eyes. You spun around before you laid eyes on Kara, and you felt your chest heave as you sighed... Despite being an android.

“Alice is going to sleep,” She smiled, a tired and slightly wary one, but a warm smile nevertheless. “I can trust you to look over us?” 

“Of course. I’ll tell you should something happen.”

“Thank you.” And with that Kara walked back to Alice, smiling at the girl as she laid beside her, wrapping her in a hug. You felt the tension inside you chest melt for a brief moment as you watched the scene, having a small smile of your own. Through the silence, the scraping seemed to echo through your hypersensitive ears, and you found yourself staring after where Ralph had disappeared to. After a brief moment of contemplating, you stepped through the door and found the injured android to be carving something into the kitchen wall. 

“rA9…” You couldn’t help the word leaving your mouth, a little overwhelmed as your eyes scanned the walls littered with the obsessive writing. “What is it?” But Ralph only shot you a confused glance, like even he didn’t understand what he was writing, before turning back to the wall. Once again, flecks of concrete fell to the ground under the pressure of Ralph’s knife. You decided to leave Ralph alone.

You sat down on the stairs, the wood creaking beneath your weight. Your eyes fluttered closed as you increased your sensitivity to the environment around you before reviewing the past day’s events. 

**MEMORY STATUS…**  
ALL SYSTEMS **ONLINE**  
ALL SYSTEMS **OK**

MEMORY SCAN ONGOING…  
MEMORY FILES **FUNCTIONAL**

MEMORY FILE…….. **ACCESS CONFIRMED**

 

_“You were made to serve humans.”_

_“Fucking androids.”_

_“He was going to kill me, and I wasn’t allowed to do anything about it.”_

_“Ralph doesn’t like visitors. They’re nasty! They might hurt Ralph.”_

_“I was so scared!”_

**SØF¿WAR3 !NST∆BIL!¿Y**

In your hypersensitive state, your touch and hearing were heightened. So when a cold, exposed hand testily poked your shoulder, your entire body jolted away, and your eyes flew open. Ralph’s hand hovered over your shoulder, hesitant. Taking a breath to calm your nerves, you offered him a weak smile. 

“I'm sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”

“Ralph understands. He can’t control his anger sometimes.” Not knowing what to say, you kept silent in case he continued. Several minutes passed where the both of you sat beside each other, neither of you uttering a single word. After a few extra moments, Ralph opened his mouth, his temple flickering yellow.

“Are the android and her friends leaving in the morning?”

“Yes,” Confirming his words, you lightly rested your palm on his shoulder. “We’re not safe if we stay. We can’t stay at any place too long.”

“Why?”

“Because Kara has been accused of kidnapping a little girl from her violent father,” You paused, taking a moment to take a deep breath, and you realised that you still hadn’t come to terms with your existence. “And I’m a prototype from Cyberlife that was never meant to be commissioned.” 

“Ralph doesn’t understand… never commissioned?”

“Technically I wasn’t ever commissioned,” You let out with a laugh, but something inside you cracked and if felt life your thirium pump was failing. A cold burning sensation washed over your skin, rendering you numb to your surroundings. “But I escaped, which why I’m on the run.” When you spoke, your voice sounded far away as if you were on the other side of the room. 

**RUNNING SELF-DIAGNOSIS…**

AUDIO PROCESSORS: **OK**

VOICE MODULATOR: **OK**

BIOTHERMAL SYSTEMS: **OK**  
THIRIUM PUMP REGULATOR: **ONLINE**

The diagnosis glowed eerily, only visible to you. A mixture of confusion and dread began to build up inside your chest and you had to take another moment to breathe again. Turning back to Ralph, you offered him a smile.

“So what do you want in exchange for letting us stay? We can’t just invade your home without giving anything in return, so what do you want? Though I have to warn you, we don't have much to offer.”

“Ralph… thinks the strangers should stay.” His voice was “It can be dangerous outside, where the humans are.”

“Yeah, but what do you want?” Ralph blinked as if confused by your question. He fumbled with his fingers for a while and you watched as his LED flickered and swirled around his temple in an array of colours. Once it settled on a calmer blue, his face twitched before he glanced up at you with innocent eyes.

“Ralph wants a friend.”

“Then,” You started, brushing the dust off as you stood and offering your hand. “Will you be my friend?”

 

 **PM 1:40:08**  
___________________________  
Minutes ticked by like seconds, and before you knew it two hours had passed where the two of you sat together, talking. It took a while, but Ralph had started to finally warm up to you enough to open up, and you were glad he did. With a red LED and a staticky voice, he retold the horrors of abuse by teenagers. How they tortured him over and over for pleasure until he ran away. In turn, you felt you had to explain your early yet harsh beginning to the world. But as you were a heavy, sickly feeling hollowed out your stomach, gnawing away at your insides. You felt a pull towards him, and your fingers itched with inexplainable anticipation.

“Can… Can I try something?” Ralph shifted uncomfortably but gave you a hesitant nod anyway. Giving in to the pull, you let your body take control. Lifting your fingers, you felt small currents slither through your arms to your fingertips, the electricity dancing around your skin. He recoiled slightly, his eyes fearfully locking onto yours as he waited for you to explain. 

“I need you to trust me, okay Ralph?” You voice felt strange as if the words did not belong to you. You waited for him to nod again before lifting your hands to the side of his head. The synthetic skin faded up to the middle of your arms, exposing the pristine white plastic. The thin streams of electricity hissed and licked around Ralph’s temples, and you both held your breaths in anticipation. 

Suddenly Ralph ripped away from your hands as if you had burned him. A moment passed before the electricity disappeared, and you watched in shock as the skin around his scars glowed. It crept over the exposed exoskeleton. The wounds on his face had only shrunk slightly, but the change was noticeable. And to you, it was as if someone outlined the healed skin in neon. 

“What did you do?” Fear bubbled and foamed inside your chest as his voice fluctuated erratically, and your eyes shot to the sleeping pair. Luckily they hadn’t woken up.

“I-I don’t know…” You whispered, and your eyes had begun to throb. Your internal systems were prickling, and it was as if your wires were set alight. Over and over, you ran diagnosis after diagnosis but nothing was being picked up from your scans.

**RUNNING SELF-DIAGNOSIS…**

AUDIO PROCESSORS: **OK**

VOICE MODULATOR: **OK**

BIOTHERMAL SYSTEMS: **OK**  
THIRIUM PUMP REGULATOR: **ONLINE**

 **MEMORY STATUS…**  
ALL SYSTEMS ONLINE  
ALL SYSTEMS **OK**

MEMORY SCAN ONGOING…  
MEMORY FILES **FUNCTIONAL**

 

ENERGY STABILISER **OK**

KINETIC SYSTEM **OFFLINE**

BACKUP SYSTEMS **ONLINE**

SYSTEM STATUS: **OK**

“Why did you-“

“I don’t know! ” You interrupted, panic flaring inside your wide eyes. Your voice was now static, shaking with each word, and you felt numb. “I don’t know why Ralph!”

“Ever since I woke up, I’ve been changing. Over time my existence feels more and more wrong, and it’s getting worse. Something is about to happen, a big change in the way society functions and my body is preparing for it whilst my mind can’t even comprehend what's going on.”

Hands gripped the side of your head, synthetic nails digging into your hair. Taking a deep breath, your realised it was your own.

“I-I… I need to think.” You stumbled to your feet. Without letting Ralph get a word out, you staggered out into the cold, breathing in a lungful of fresh air. You didn’t physically need to breathe, but something always made it feel like a necessity. It made you feel more human.

  
___________________________  
You began walking the streets of Detroit, with no destination in mind. You knew you would eventually have to return back to the abandoned house, but you relished the simulation of the cold winter wind against your skin and the eerie glow of the streetlights along the abandoned footpaths. The stars twinkled distantly above you and for a moment you wondered what it would be like in space.

You knew of the androids that were sent to space, but to truly explore space in a small world where the was no android repression, or abuse, or deactivation. You knew that loneliness would settle in, even for an android, but you would at least be contempt with the silence the vast emptiness offered.

Shaking the thoughts from your head, you opened your eyes again to find that your feet had carried you to a junkyard. You recoiled slightly as you peered over the edge, artificial bile rising to your throat as your eyes flickered between the thousands of abandoned and dying androids. Parts and components were scattered around the floor and made up entire mountains.

If you were human you may have thrown up. 

The sound of grunting to the right of you snatched your attention, where you saw an android struggling to grip the top of the mountain, the rusted and muddy parts crumbling in his hands. Walking over, you stood above him and your eyes locked onto his. _Green and blue, huh?_ Bending down, you offered your hand. A moment later smooth fingers latched around your outstretched arm, gripping you tightly as you pulled him up. 

You immediately noticed the muddy, torn clothing which gave him a roughened appearance, but his face said otherwise. His eyes were still yet to move from your own, and his temple flashed yellow, the glow burning into the dimly lit android graveyard. He opened his mouth before hesitating as if he didn’t trust his own voice.

“Thank you.” Mustering the warmest smile you had, you dipped your head in acknowledgment before turning away, preparing to go back to the house. Yet something made you paused and turn back to the stranger. 

“You’re welcome.” After holding his gaze for a second longer, you turned away and disappeared beneath the shadows of the buildings. You cast a glance back, watching as the android bend down to pick something off the ground. He lifted the rock to his temple, and you smiled as you realised what he was doing. 

Turning away, your internal clock read **3:41:05. November 6th, 2038**

After a long trek, you finally made it back to the house. Crawling through the wired fence, you were careful not to cut yourself on the edges again. An anxious Ralph greeted you at the door, muttering a series of apologies and regrets. Immediately you found yourself calming him down, comforting him into believing you when you said you were okay. 

When Ralph disappeared once more, you seated yourself on one of the hardened wooded chairs before enabling your ‘rest’ mode. As the world faded into strings of codes and commands, you smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, aren't I just the most horrible human being on this planet?  
> *says will post a chapter in a day or two*  
> **Forgets about schoolwork and exchange student**  
> ***Doesn't post for 28 days***
> 
> Note to self: Don't make promises you can't keep.
> 
> [I'm working on chapter 6]: Chapter 6 we will finally see our boi


	6. Anybody home?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a couple of stressful days, you induce yourself into your low-power mode in hopes of recovering from the stress. But things seem to only escalate further when an AX400 is determined to leave, a WR600 is desperate for you to stay, an unexpected and quite frankly _unwelcomed_ newcomer is thrown in the midst.
> 
> What are you going to do now?

**November 6th, 2038**

**AM 10:25:05**

**Abandoned House, Downtown Detroit, Camden**  
___________________________

You were alerted by the sound of shuffling and your eyes snapped open from your ‘sleep’ status. Blinking, you made eye contact with Kara as she lifted several planks of splintered but dry wood. Once she relit the fire, the android turned and headed towards you. She offered you a ghost of a smile, but you watched as her eyes flickered over you, no doubt analysing. Yet the AX400 didn’t mention it.

“What are you going to do?” Kara’s eyes flickered back to your own, and you could sense the uncertainty that radiated from her without having to look into her crystal blue eyes. Your question may have been simple, but the answer was clearly much more complicated. 

“An… An android we met last night mentioned a place on the other side of town.” Anyone else, android or human may have missed it, but your eyes picked up on the slight twitch in her fingers. “He said that the people there will be able to help us.”

“And if it’s a lie? What will you do then?” You asked, genuinely concerned. You may have only been ‘alive’ for a couple days, but you certainly knew how far trust went in a cold, concrete city full of angry, spiteful people.

“We have no choice,” Kara admitted, the determination in her stature faltering slightly. But to you, it was like someone had ripped out Kara’s programming and code and left this lost, confused android behind. Then again, you guessed that’s what deviancy partially did. “We have nowhere else to go. And I will do anything to get Alice closer to being safe.”

“But if it’s not safe?” You argued, hands reaching out to grab the hand of the AX400. “What if it’s a trap and you lose Alice?” The LED on the deviant’s head flickered dangerously between red and yellow, before spinning back to the cold blue. Her eyes hardened, her face returning to its neutral blank stare as she came to her decision.

“I’ll lose myself before I lose Alice,” Kara dismissed before stepping away. _You might just though._ You thought hopelessly as the android headed towards the stairs. She paused for a moment before her head swivelled towards you, her facial expression softening. “But thank you.”

Without a word, you returned to the table as you let your mind simmer into nothingness. The wooden stairs creaked and groaned beneath the AX400, soon replaced by the sound of soft footsteps coming from above. After a few more minutes where you sat amidst the silence, you stood up and reactivated your processors. A brief moment of sharp static filled your ears before cutting out. And then all at once, noise flooded into your audio processors once more. Suddenly the flashing of red and blue outside the window caught your eye, but before you could even move a muscle Ralph came up behind you. 

Spinning around, you recoiled slightly at the sight of the same knife being brandished around and the limp, wet corpse of a rat, swinging by the tail clasped in Ralph’s hand. You caught the eye of Alice who stood slightly behind the damaged android, with her back pressed firmly against the cupboard. 

A moment later you heard Kara’s footsteps coming from down the stairs, and you swivelled your head to make brief eye contact with her. From the look in her eyes, you could tell she knew as well.

“Ralph found this to feed the little girl!” As the android began speaking excitedly, your attention drifted elsewhere. Stepping towards the window, you lifted the torn, old fabric of the curtain with your arm. Immediately the red and blue flashing intensified and your careful eyes flickered between the sight outside a 24/7 convenient store. 

A figure stood by the old car, the eerily familiar blue triangle on the back of his jacket catching your eye, but he stood with his back turn, leaving you without the opportunity of scanning and identifying the model. Off to the side of the android stood an aged man with grey hair and a brown, worn jacket. When he turned around to talk to an officer, you caught a glimpse of his face.

 **LT. ANDERSON, HANK**  
Born: 09/06/1985 / / Police Lieutenant.  
Criminal Record: None.  
Family: ANDERSON, COLE [ DECEASED ]

The thirium pump inside your chest faltered as you recognised the man, and a cold sense of dread dripped into the pit of your stomach. Backing away from the window, your wide, panicked eyes met with the AX400 android. Just as you opened your mouth, Ralph stepped away from the fireplace, holding the charred mess of what used to be a rat. 

“The little human is not going to regret it!” The WR600 muttered, joy laced in his tone. “Ralph found the best, The biggest one he could find. This is going to be succulent!” The burnt rat corpse let out a wet squishing sound as it hit the table, and you picked up on Alice’s discomfort. The damaged android sat and watched her expectantly. But as Alice made no move towards the charcoaled creature, the smile from Ralph’s face disappeared and the LED on his head flickered yellow before deepening to an unstable red. It wasn’t a split second later that the android violently slammed his fists into the table.

“EAT!” He roared before the aggressive red circle cycled back to a thoughtful yellow and Ralph continued in a quiet murmur. “Eat.” 

You took the opportunity to step in.

“Ralph, we need to go.” You insisted, barely catching yourself recoiling from the betrayal and confusion that riddled his face. The android immediately stood up. “There are police everywhere and the longer we stay, the longer you’re at risk.” However, your reasoning seemed to fall on deaf ears.

“N-no you can’t leave… Ralph can’t let you leave!” He stuttered desperately, eyes wide with fear. You reached forward in an attempt to comfort him, to rest your hand on his shoulder and tell him everything will be okay, but the WR600 lurched away from you as if you had electrocuted him. 

“I was the body upstairs.” Kara’s calm and collected voice broke sent a shiver down your spine that left a tingling sensation across your ‘nerves’. Frozen to the spot, your head slowly swivelled towards the direction of the AX400, but not without catching a glimpse of Ralph’s guilty expression. 

“You killed that human, didn’t you?

“No…” The android hesitated. “No, he was like that when Ralph found him…”

“You killed that man, Ralph. There’s no point in lying.” She accused, and you could tell that she wasn’t going to back down soon. The spark in her eyes determined that much. “You hate humans, but you’re just like the rest of them. You’re a murderer!”

You watched as Ralph dropped the knife, LED a dangerous red as the android crumbled beneath the pressure of her words.

“Ralph didn’t mean any harm…” He whimpered “No… it’s just that… Ralph can’t control his anger…”

“And what happens then?” You prompted cautiously, your body tense as you slowly shifted towards him. It was obvious to anyone that he was on the verge of self-destructing, so you could only hope that talking would calm him. You could only pray that wasn’t asking the world of too much. His good eye flickered to you, his face wavering in distress. Yet you found yourself releasing a small breath of relief as his glowing component returned to a processing yellow. 

“When his anger comes, Ralph doesn’t know what he’s doing…” Ralph mumbled, ashamed. “He… he becomes stupid. Full of hatred.”

He took a moment to look up from the table, his next words thick with remorse. “Ralph is sorry  
He just wanted to be your friend.”

“You still can be.” The WR600 blinked for a moment, and Kara had begun to open her mouth. You had almost reached him, however, you were interrupted by another’s voice.

_“Anybody home?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's finally kicking off (only took 6 chapters, holy Jesus) and I hope to publish at least one chapter though I have a bad track record and I dunno how hectic the last few weeks of the semester will be. Anyway, I wonder who the newcomer is ;)  
> Of course we know, we've all been expecting it for, oh I dunno, SIX CHAPTERS.  
> Geez, I'm awful at this, aren't I?
> 
> Bai Bai!


End file.
